The present invention relates to an exterior rearview mirror for a motor vehicle.
German document DE 199 38 028 A1 discloses an exterior rearview mirror for a motor vehicle with a mirror housing and a wiper motor. To clean a mirror surface of the exterior rearview mirror, a wiper arm is provided which is driven by the wiper motor via a wiper mechanism and bears a wiper blade. In this case, the wiper mechanism is designed in such a manner that the wiper blade executes an essentially parallel reciprocating movement. By means of the wiper technique described, the known exterior rearview mirror makes it possible to remove moisture and dirt from the mirror surface and therefore ensures a consistently good view through the exterior rearview mirror to regions situated behind the motor vehicle.
German document DE 32 11 794 C2 discloses a further exterior rearview mirror for motor vehicles. This exterior rearview mirror is suitable in particular for trucks and enables the driver to have an optimum view of the events behind him. In this case, the mirror housing can be kept small by virtue of a compact design. In addition, the exterior rearview mirror can be equipped with a wiper system for the glass, with just a single motor being required in order to pivot the mirror housing or the mirror glass to and fro between the normal position and a position widening the field of view or to clean the mirror glass with the wiper. The mirror wiping system has a straight wiper blade which is coupled to a parallelogram-type articulated lever system. In this case, the parallelogram-type articulated lever system permits a parallel wiping movement of the wiper blade and therefore good cleaning of moisture and dirt from the mirror surface.
German document DE 199 00 408 A1 discloses a further exterior mirror for a vehicle. The exterior mirror is provided with a wiping and washing system comprising a wiper motor and a wiper arm to which a wiper blade and spray nozzles are fastened. In this case, the wiper motor is arranged either above the upper, lower or laterally right or left region of the exterior mirror. It is possible to retrofit the wiping and washing system as an additional part to existing systems. The operating elements for operating the wiping and washing system are either coupled to the operating elements of an existing window wiping and washing system or are connected separately. This relates both to the supply of electric power from the vehicle electric system and for the supplying of washing water from a storage container which is already present or is to be fitted separately. Furthermore, the wiper arm is provided with a joint, with the size of the exterior mirror being taken into account. However, the wiping movement executed by the wiper arm or the wiper blade is a rotary pivoting movement and not a parallel movement.
The present invention is concerned with the problem of providing, for an exterior rearview mirror of the type mentioned at the beginning, an improved embodiment which, in particular, has a particularly compact design and, furthermore, has high resistance to soiling and icing.
This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject matter of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
According to the invention, in the case of an exterior rearview mirror for a motor vehicle with a mirror housing and a wiper motor, and a wiper arm which is driven by the wiper motor via a wiper mechanism, a rotary joint mechanism which is integrated in the wiper housing is used as a wiper mechanism.
For this purpose, the wiper mechanism of the parallel wiper according to the invention has a first L-shaped pivot arm and a second L-shaped pivot arm which are respectively mounted rotatably, for example on the mirror housing, in a fixed position at their elbows. Both pivot arms are respectively mounted rotatably at the elbow-remote end of the their limb on the wiper side on an inner parallel wiper arm and are connected to each other via the latter. An outer parallel wiper arm which bears the wiper blade is arranged on the inner parallel wiper arm, in particular via a spring joint. On the drive side, the pivot arms are connected to the wiper motor at their limbs on the drive side.
The invention therefore makes it possible in a simple manner to realize a wiper arrangement which is relatively insensitive to soiling or icing and, furthermore, permits a particularly small construction width or construction depth. For this purpose, the two pivot arms are arranged lying one above the other parallel to the inner parallel wiper arm and are connected on the drive side to the wiper motor, for example via a pendulum rod, and are mounted on the driven side in an articulated manner on the inner parallel wiper arm.
According to a preferred embodiment, a spring joint is arranged between the inner and the outer parallel wiper arm. The spring joint is designed in such a manner that it presses the wiper blade against the mirror surface. This ensures that smaller impurities, such as, for example, dirt particles, are reliably removed from the mirror surface. In addition, smearing and therefore view deterioration are avoided by the fact that the spring joint generates a defined press-on pressure on the wiper blade.
Expediently, one of the parallel wiper arms can fit around the edge of the mirror surface. In this way, nothing of the wiper mechanism can be seen from the outside, which, firstly, affords advantages in terms of design and, secondly, protects the wiper mechanism against soiling and to a certain extent also against icing. When not in use, the wiper blade advantageously rests against the edge of the mirror surface, so that a maximum mirror surface is available for observing the space at the rear.
According to an advantageous development, the wiper mechanism is fastened to a support which at the same time bears the mirror surface. This ensures that a position of the wiper blade relative to the mirror surface cannot be changed even when the mirror is adjusted, and therefore a consistently high wiping quality can be obtained.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the exterior rearview mirror has a washing device. A washing device of this type which, for example, is heated makes it possible to reliably clean a soiled mirror surface and thereby increase the driving safety. In this connection, it is conceivable to design a washing device in such a manner that it only sprays washing liquid onto the mirror surface in the direction of movement in front of the wiper blade. In this way, the dirt adhering to the mirror surface can first of all be moistened and subsequently removed by the wiper blade. At the same time, this ensures that, after the wiping operation is ended, washing liquid no longer remains on the mirror surface and, as a result, after the wiping and washing system is switched off, a cleaned and wiped mirror surface is always present.
Further important features and advantages of the invention emerge from the subclaims, from the drawings and from the associated description of the figures with reference to the drawings.
The features mentioned above and those which have yet to be explained below can be used not only in the respectively stated combination but also in different combinations or on their own without departing from the framework of the present invention.
Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the description below, with identical reference numbers referring to identical or functionally identical or similar components.